I believe the Irish language is one of our greatest national treasures, and an integral part of our ancestral heritage. Much of our appreciation of our culture and traditions is dependent on understanding the significance of the Irish language.

Our music, our way of speaking the English language, our literature and poetry, our theater, our legal system, our pastimes and sports have all been greatly influenced by our language. In fact, I will go so far as to say that many facets of modern Irish society and our very psyche as a people have been infused by the Irish language.

I suppose you could say I’m an enthusiast when it comes to the importance of the Irish language in furthering our understanding of our culture and heritage.

And so, you can imagine how excited I was to learn of recent language research by the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College, Dublin, that underscores the importance of language-learning projects to revise harmful interpretations of history, and to facilitate critical self-reflection and empathy for others.

Today, I’m delighted to publish this guest post from Trinity College Dublin, explaining their investigation of the “Turas” Irish language project in East Belfast that encourages exploration and study of the Irish language as a reconciliation initiative.

Here is a piece written by Trinity College explaining the study….

Language-learning projects can help revise

destructive understandings of history in a polarized society.

A study by Dr. David Mitchell of Trinity College Dublin of the East Belfast ‘Turas’ Irish language project found language classes help groups in conflict find shared heritage.

Language learning has the potential to build empathy between groups in conflict and help revise destructive understandings of history, according to researchers in Trinity College Dublin, who have conducted a study of the ‘Turas’ Irish-language center in East Belfast.

The academic study of the Turas Irish-language project comes at a time when the Irish language has never been more politically contested in Northern Ireland. Bitter political disagreement over a potential Irish Language Act is a primary cause of Northern Ireland’s political parties’ failure to restore power-sharing government in Belfast.

Based in a traditional working-class, unionist area, the Turas project runs Irish language classes and community workshops on the little-known historical links between Protestants and the Irish language, and the Irish ‘all around us’ in place names, phrases and linguistic structures derived from Irish.

Turas also provides Irish language singing classes, set dancing classes, and large-scale cultural events. Some 8,000 people have taken part in Turas events and it has around 200 enrolled learners. The project is run by East Belfast Mission, an outreach of the Methodist Church, and led by Linda Ervine, sister-in-law of the late loyalist leader David Ervine.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin at Belfast, sought to explain why the Turas project is flourishing and to examine the nature of its contribution to peace and reconciliation in the area. Their findings, based on in-depth interviews with leaders and participants and observations of Turas events, have been published in the journal ‘Ethnic and Racial Studies’.

The researchers found that the project’s success could be attributed to an appetite among many members of the Protestant community to discover an aspect of their heritage that had been denied them by Northern Ireland’s polarized society. The relaxed and welcoming ethos of the project and the charismatic and energetic leadership of Linda Ervine, were also major factors in the project’s success.

Since the advent of power-sharing in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement, the question of what official status or protection should be accorded the Irish language has become a bitterly contested aspect of Northern Ireland’s ‘culture war’, explains Dr David Mitchell, Assistant Professor in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, Trinity.

“The Turas initiative is explicitly re-casting Irish as a shared heritage of all the people of Ireland, and indeed Britain and Ireland, given the close links with Scots Gaelic. By challenging the tendency towards cultural polarization this unlikely grassroots peace building project in East Belfast which uses language learning and cultural encounter as its main focus has made a notable contribution to peace and reconciliation. Our study suggests that language learning initiatives have a unique potential to make valuable contribution to peace building initiatives.”

“Unlike other peacebuilding tools such as sport, the arts or inter-church activities, language learning has the advantage of being naturally accompanied by learning of the history of the language. This can open up a space for the discovery of a shared historical experience or the revision of destructive understandings of history.”

The Turas project has wider lessons regarding the capacity of language learning to build peace between groups in conflict, Dr Mitchell continued:

“Language learning also has the potential to develop empathy for the members of another linguistic community. This is not simply because language acquisition creates ‘common ground’ but also because learning a language opens a window into another linguistic community’s inner world revealing nuances of culture and ways of life which would otherwise remain impenetrable. In addition, the close connection of language and place means that language learning may have a unique power to reframe groups’ strong, exclusive identification with particular territories.”

The study did, however, find that some learners were reluctant to reveal the fact that they were learning Irish to friends and family, and many were concerned that the political battle over Irish was working against the progress being made by Turas towards ‘detoxifying’ Irish among unionists.

Irish American Mom

Here in the Irish American Mom Community we love to celebrate our Irish heritage. But what is it about our heritage that makes us so proud?

Is heritage the memory of our ancestors and the legacy they have gifted us? For some of us it surely is. But others have only recently discovered their Irish roots through DNA testing, and never knew their Irish forebears. Yet many have always felt a deep affinity for the land of Ireland, despite not realizing their genetic connection to this small island on the edge of the Atlantic ocean.

A while back I asked a favor of members of our little Irish community. I sent subscribers an email and posed a complex question in search of insights into the meaning of our Irish heritage. Here’s the question I asked:

What’s the most important thing to you about your Irish heritage?

A difficult question alright? But my word, did respondents rise to the occasion with eloquent, meaningful answers.

For the past week I have been inundated with responses to my email, and I cannot thank you enough for taking time to carefully consider the significance of our shared heritage. I have read, reread and treasured your responses.

Your answers touched me deeply, and so I thought it would be wonderful to share your beautiful mosaic of Irish thoughts.

Here’s how one reader summed it all up …

“So many things are intertwined ( in my mind at least!) and work all together to make the Irish who they are, no matter where they are. So here’s some things that come to mind ( no particular order)

sense of family

sense of community–looking out for each other

survival

standing against injustice–especially injustice towards those who are least able to defend themselves

abiding love of the land

love of laughter

our rebellious streak

our poets, writers, storytellers, musicians and singers (we certainly have a way with words)

our hospitality

our food (taking simple ingredients making delicious meals)”

This is just one example of your many responses. As I read over your stories I started making lists of your adjectives and words. Patterns and repetitions started emerging inspiring the creation of an Irish themed word cloud.

I hope you like this graphic. If you would like to print it, simply click here for the PDF file which you are welcome to save, print and share.

Now, let’s take a quick look at your top ten most frequently quoted words and phrases. I’ve also included some of your touching, poignant and passionate responses.

And so, without further ado, here are some of the most important things about our Irish heritage….

10. People

“The most important thing, to me, about my Irish heritage is the people – you might say, the Irish Way (poets and fighters all wrapped up in one)….. The people are always so accepting and accommodating that even when not with blood family it feels so familial.”

“The most important things I value about my Irish heritage are the dedication to family and country, the insistence on education for our young and laws to insure care for the young, elderly and infirm. Our moral strength and determination drawn from the Celts.”

“Where I come from..the blood and people I am built from and why I am the way I am.”

“The origins and history of the Irish – the good and the bad that has made us into a hearty people with passion.”

9. Way With Words

“The fabric of my Irish heritage is a tight weave of creativity, wit, blarney and wisdom.”

“The best of my Irish legacy is a wonderful facility with words, phrases and prose. I love the lilt that it offers.”

“It has always seemed like there is an Irishness inside me, and I want to learn more about how the Irish lived and how they live today, the traditions, the superstitions, the lifestyles. My mother had a fabulous imagination and told us elaborate stories. I’d like to believe we have storytelling in our blood. I’m looking for the nooks and crannies, the little tidbits of daily life that would resonate within the cellular memory of my DNA.”

8. Good Food

“It is also very important to me that my two sons are very familiar with Irish food, music and holiday traditions and that they stay connected to all their relatives in Ireland.”

“I am most interested in learning more about Irish culture, Irish holiday traditions and “every day ” recipes ( not gourmet restaurant ones I can find online 😀).”

7. Spirituality

“The most important thing about my Irish heritage is that it gives a foundation to me. The history, the beliefs, the faith, its like a building. A building does not stay strong without a good foundation. My Irish heritage is my strong foundation. My children were raised with their Irish heritage. I have seen them grow, I am now seeing their children grow with the same beliefs.”

“A sense of belonging to something bigger than myself- a history and heritage rich and spiritual.”

“The legends, myths and spiritual legacy of the Celts is intriguing.”

6. Irish Language

“I love to listen to the language. Listening to Gaelic helps me feel more connected to Ireland even though I cannot speak or understand the words.”

“I am very interested in hearing how Gaelic phrases are pronounced.”

5. Love of the Land

“Most important to me is the Ireland of old. History,recipes, poems, true stories about the people and land. We haven’t learned or heard most of the true Ireland. A relative of mine said it best: We aren’t the land of leprechauns and pots of gold”

“The deep love of the land, our home and family vie with the fire in the heart and writer’s soul – these are the complete package of what we are fiercely and tenderly proud of!”

4. Loyalty

“My favorite symbol of Ireland is the claddagh, and I wear a claddagh cross to remind me I need to show love, loyalty, and friendship to God and Jesus.”

“My Irish heritage pulls at me on a daily basis and is a source of much family pride.”

“I love Irish loyalty to family and nation. One of my favorite Irish sayings goes like this ….”A family of Irish birth will argue and fight, but let a shout come from without and see them all unite.”

3. Perseverance / Survival

“I have always be amazed at the courage and strength it must have taken to board that ship to escape the very hard times they were facing in Ireland to seek better lives in America.”

“When my great grandparents came over on the boat during the potato famine, they had 11 children. They all died on the ship. My great grandfather was just distraught, my great grandmother said to him, “If we are not to have an Irish family, we’ll have an American one. I don’t know if it helped him then, but they did have 9 more children in the US, one my grandmother.”

“How proud I am of how they pursued the American Dream in spite of all the hardships they encountered. From ‘No Irish Need Apply” to becoming well respected members of America.”

“I love the fact that being Irish means you’re a survivor. Our ancestors endured so much, yet still tried to see the silver linings. They played music, told stories and kept those stories alive for generations. They came to America from famine with nothing and accomplished many dreams amidst the racism they experienced, “Irish need not Apply”. ”

“The most important thing to me about my Irish Heritage? Endurance….and having a successful ending to an Irish family’s extremely difficult and tragic life in the late 1800’s which I wish that my great-great Grandfather and my great-great-great grandmother could see now.”

“I’ve always been struck by the fact that the Irish have been through much adversity throughout the centuries. And yet they’re known for their delightful wit, humor & good-natured spirit. That inspires me and I’m proud to have so many ancestors of Irish descent.”

2. Faith

“My Dad always had his Rosary in his pocket and a few treasured medals and a tiny statue of (I think) St. Joseph. Dad seemed to perfectly understand that anything that was good came from God. And, “with the help o’ God”, as he would always say, such and such would happen. Dad’s solid Faith has made me clearly define that Faith as just part of being Irish…for which I always felt so proud of, and so special that it was just what I am. From that, my life has blossomed into an embracing of the plan God has for each of us and all those of good will.”

“The most important thing to me is remembering that faith and culture are inseparable. The Irish survived and preserved their culture and heritage because of their deep faith in God who saw them through and gave the Irish the gifts that make them who they are.”

“There is so much about my Irish heritage that is important to me (music, poetry, culture, the beautiful land), but if I had to choose one thing, it would be the Catholic faith.”

1. Family

“The most important thing to me about my Irish heritage is the parts that have been passed down the generations in my family – family life, music, Irish dancing, warmth, hospitality, cups of tea round the table, humour, slight madness!, religion, spirituality, names, history.”

“The most important thing to me about my Irish heritage is feeling closer to my ancestors, understanding how they must have felt on leaving Ireland, on surviving America, on how they dealt with feelings of anger and hatred towards those who contributed to the difficulties they experienced in life….. So singing along to folk songs, voting, speaking up for others, walking in Ireland, wearing an Aran sweater, telling stories from Irish mythology, learning to speak and read (a little) Irish Gaelic, eating colcannon, drinking tea–all these give me a feeling of warmth–like a caress across the years. Like my gr’grandparents and my grandparents, I am proud of being an Irish-American. I am proud of my Irish Heritage. I am especially proud of my grandmothers, gr’grandmothers and gr’gr’grandmothers–who tended to outlive their husbands and struggled as single parents to support their children.”

“Most important…love of family, our roots…feeling that dna!!! Love visting our family still on the farm that our great grandmother left to come to America at age 19.”

“My Irish heritage is important to me because it has given definition to my being here. It helps define who I am. I love the traditions of, love of family, loyalty, and humor that comes from my “Irish “ side.”

Dedicated to the Memory of our Ancestors:

And so with this blog post, I dedicate our Irish American Mom Community to the memory of our ancestors, and to the Irish legacy they bequeathed us.

With your help we can preserve knowledge of their customs and traditions and we can give life to the heritage and culture they passed on to us. We should not and shall not ever forget them.

Many thanks to everyone whose contributions made this blog post possible. If you would like me to add your name under your quotation just send me an email or a comment below.

Or if you would like me to feature your family’s immigrant tale or the story of their American evolution, just let me know.

Mass Rocks stand scattered around the Irish countryside in out-of-the way, difficult-to-find places, their secretive locations chosen with a purpose.

When the Penal Laws were enacted in 1695 making it illegal for Irish Catholics to practice their faith, they took to the hills and the mountains, to the forests and the caves in search of secretive spaces to gather and pray.

They found hidden places with a large rock that could be used as an altar, and usually surrounded by high ground, where look-outs could be posted to watch for approaching danger.

In today’s blog post I’m going to take you on a little video tour of one of these old Mass Rock sites located near Glenville, County Cork.

For me, Mass Rocks are important historical monuments where we can experience a tangible link to our past, and further our understanding of our unique Irish heritage. Mass Rock sites are places with deep spiritual ties for Irish people.

In the Irish language they are known as Carraig an Aifrinn (pronounced phonetically as Kar-rig on Aff-rin). This literally means Rock of the Mass.

The Mass Rock In The Glen:

Tony Kennedy is a film maker who shares his work on his YouTube channel, Rural Cork. He visits villages and places of North Cork meeting locals and having little chats, and sing songs, all the while uncovering the friendly warmth and welcome of Irish country life.

Recently Tony sent me a link for a video he recorded about the Mass Rock in Glenville, County Cork. This beautiful film resonated deeply with me, and I just knew I had to share it with you.

As I watched I immediately connected with the deep spiritual essence resonating within this sacred space.

Local historian Norma Buckley recounts the cultural significance of Glenville Mass Rock, and recalls the deep faith of the local people spanning the centuries. The haunting tones of Megan O’Mahony of Ceoltóirí Sliabh Luachra echoes beautifully as the background music.

This ancient Mass Rock lies three miles from Glenville village and sixteen miles north of Cork City. Here are the map coordinates for this serene spot ….. 52° 3’ 49.49’’ N -8° 27’ 41.44’’ W

A big thank you to Tony for giving me permission to share his work with you.

The Mass Rock Of My Childhood:

Many of Ireland’s Mass Rocks are difficult to find and lie on private lands. There is an old Mass Rock near where my mother grew up in West Cork, but it is on a farm in a very inaccessible place. I remember going to see it with my granny when I was a little girl.

She told me stories of sentinels standing on a rocky outcrop as Mass was being said. Their eyes scanned the countryside for approaching English soldiers, the people ready to scatter across the fields, scurrying their priest to safety.

Granny was a masterful storyteller, her words painting a vivid picture of these clandestine meetings. I could nearly hear the echoing hooves of approaching horsemen, as I listened to her tale.

Mass Rock In Kildorrery:

When I told my father I was going to write about the Mass Rock in Glenville, he replied ….

“Sure we have a Mass Rock in Kildorrery too.”

If I had only known I would have visited long ago, but I suppose I never listened closely to family stories when I was young and foolish.

Next time I’m in North Cork, I’ll definitely visit the Farahy Mass Rock and take some photos. It’s very close to my family’s farm.

Sacred Spaces of Ireland:

And so I hope you enjoyed this little introduction to Ireland’s Mass Rocks.

By their very design Mass Rock sites are usually in secretive places, and are extremely difficult to find. They definitely are not on the well beaten tourist trail.

Ireland’s ancient monuments are just waiting to be discovered by tourists interested in learning about their ancestral heritage.

Today I’m delighted to take you off the beaten path once again, to discover one of Ireland’s spectacular megalithic sites at Loughcrew.

And so I’m going to hand you over to the good folk from Loughcrew Megalithic Centre to introduce all this ancient site has to offer …

Introducing Loughcrew Megalithic Centre:

Loughcrew Megalithic Centre is a cultural and Irish heritage centre located along Ireland’s Ancient East route in County Meath. It’s located on Sliabh na Caillí (Hill of The Witch) where the largest passage tomb complex in Ireland is found at the top.

These tombs and burial sites are older than the pyramids. At our centre you can get tours of the sites, audio and visual presentations and information on other local sites.

We look forward to welcoming visitors from the USA especially people who are tracing their ancestry, Irish roots and family tree.

In our Heritage Museum you can have a look at life in Ireland going back 300 years. We are situated in the middle of Ireland so traveling from here to anywhere in the country is made easy.

We provide a full suite of logistics including airport transfers, accommodation, transport around Ireland and most importantly every assistance possible in tracing your relatives. We have a wide range of accommodation types; camping, camper-van and rooms of different sizes in our hostel.

Older Than The Pyramids:

At our centre we have a range of events happening throughout the year. One of the biggest events is the Equinox which happens in Spring and Autumn.

This is when the inside of Cairn T is lit by the rays of light from the morning sun. The sunlight strikes the back wall illuminating the symbols and carvings which are 5000 years old.

You can visit the Cairns any time of the year and be rewarded with wonderful views and incredible ancient architecture. From this high vantage point you can see 18 counties on a clear day and farms of green fields before your eyes.

Loughcrew attracts many types of visitors each seeking to find something different. But whatever your reasons for visiting, it will have an impact on how you think of our ancestors and the world around you.

It gives us great pleasure to be associated with Irish American Mom and look forward to hearing from people looking to trace their ancestry.

Thank You:

A big thank you to the good folk at Loughcrew for this wonderful guest post, and introducing the magic of one of Ireland’s ancient treasures. I really appreciate the magnificent photos they shared here today.

Sifting through family history resources and genealogy websites can be a daunting task if you are one of the many Americans eager to trace your roots.

Notice: Crestleaf is no longer in existence.

However, if you are one of the 33.3 million Americans of Irish ancestry help is close at hand. The good folks at Crestleaf have compiled a list of 70 Irish ancestry resources to help you on your journey of family discovery and ancestral reconnection.

Requests for Genealogy Resources:

Over the past 3 years I have received many e-mails from readers asking me for a list of genealogy resources to help them with their ancestral searches. I must confess, I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of compiling this list.

Oh boy, did I do a happy dance once I discovered the work was already completed. Crestleaf, a genealogy resource company that helps people create, chronicle, and connect their family history, compiled an in-depth list of Irish genealogical research resources.

I book marked their page immediately, and with their permission I’m delighted to share it with you today. There’s no point in recreating the wheel when the Irish genealogy wheel has already been created by Crestleaf.

And so today, I am thrilled to introduce you to Crestleaf and their extensive genealogical resources…

Crestleaf – Capture Your Family’s Story:

With over 90 million family records in the United States alone, Crestleaf is an online collaboration tool for families to document their family history.

They are also a leading provider of free genealogy information, including a list of over 70 Irish genealogy resources.

Crestleaf feels there is a story trapped behind every family photo. Their family tree builder and timeline helps you remember these stories and digitally preserve special moments in chronological order that you never wish to forget.

Engage with family members by creating a timeline of key family moments, historical events and upload family photos to bring your family narrative to life. You can even invite family members to collaborate on your family tree no matter where they are in the world.

Since historic records and stories are widely dispersed amongst relatives, ease of collaboration on your family tree is a must!

Crestleaf allows casual genealogists to store all of the history they’ve gathered without being forced to pay a monthly subscription — so you’ll always have access to your digitally-preserved family memories.

Believe it or not, Crestleaf allows you to store up to 1 GB of photographs free of charge.

Check them out and start building your Crestleaf Family Tree for free!

Growing Up In An Irish Family:

Crestleaf has also provided some fun, Irish-related genealogy content on their blog:

I love this infographic dedicated to those of us who grew up in an Irish family. Our Irish heritage and crazy ways run far deeper than simply celebrating St. Patrick’s Day once a year.

We love potatoes and tea and a drop of beer every now and then, but we’re always proud of our Irish roots.

Image Credit: 17 Ways You Know You Grew Up In An Irish Family

10 Facts About Irish Americans:

I really enjoy the Crestleaf blog, and the creativity they bring to all of their posts and graphics. Check out this link for another wonderful infographic by Crestleaf, with some interesting facts about Irish-Americans.

10 Interesting Facts About Irish-Americans You Might Not Know

And Crestleaf is not only about Irish genealogy.

No matter what genealogical ingredients went in to your melting pot, Crestleaf has resources to help you on your journey of discovery.

Thank You To Crestleaf:

I truly hope that through these resources you’ll discover a treasury of knowledge, fill in the gaps in your family history, discover new branches of your family tree, or unearth deep and meaningful roots that connect you to your past.

And I wish to extend my gratitude to the folks at Crestleaf for their diligent work, and research into Irish surnames, genealogy libraries, and immigration records. Thank you for allowing me to share your resources here on my blog.

Wishing all of my readers every success as you search for long lost ancestors from days gone by.